


Heroics

by loonyBibliophile



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, Post SBURB, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-06
Updated: 2012-01-06
Packaged: 2017-10-29 01:21:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/314287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loonyBibliophile/pseuds/loonyBibliophile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dave Strider is a lot of things. A rapper, a sword fighter, but if you ask him, he will tell you one thing he definitely isn't: a hero.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heroics

“He’s dead.” She announced, restraining the excitement in her voice, as her short blonde hair ruffled in the light breeze. “He’s dead and it’s over. Finally over.” Rose looked up at her friends, her eyes bright but hesitant. Squealing, Jade gathered all of them into her arms, an excited John, a hesitant but smiling Rose, and Dave, his aviators disguising a few small, but happy, tears.

“We did it, you guys! We did it!” Jade shouted, her voice full of mirth. She giggled, and John and Rose joined in, but Dave stepped back, his shoulders sagging slightly, a shaking hand pushing his hood back from his hair. Jade frowned and walked away from John and Rose, who were heading to the remaining trolls to celebrate.

“Hey coolkid.”

“Sup, Harley.”

“What’s the matter?”

“Nothing, jesus.”

“Shut up Strider. We just killed THE bad guy and you’re sulking in a corner!”

“We’re on a fucking asteroid, Harley. There are no corner’s, shit’s round.”

“Dave, stop it! You know what I mean. Stop being a fuckass and answer my question”

“I’m tired. Actually, I’m exhausted. And yeah, we saved the world, but a ton of people fucking died in the process. Including my bro. I let him down…”

“No! Dave your bro would be proud of you! You’re a hero now! We’re all heroes!” she wrapped an arm around his shoulder and tugged him towards the nearby impromptu celebration.

“Fuck that. I’m not a hero. I never was.”

Jade sighed and shook her head, persisting in pulling him towards the victorious shouts of their friends.

“Someday you’ll believe me, coolkid. I know it.”

The next few years were long and slow and difficult. Rebuilding, healing, forging friendships. And growing up. They were, after all just kids.

When they were all around seventeen, it was decided they would all spend the winter up in New York, with Rose, as her house was the biggest. John was excited, as always, Jade was curious about the mainland, and snow, and Dave griped about having to be in the cold, being the wussy Texan that he is.

“Rose!” John called out excitedly as he knocked on the door, flanked by Dave and Jade. “We’re here!” he grinned at his best friends. They didn’t see each other much, since they all lived so far apart, even after the whole rebuilding the universe. Jade smiled back broadly and Dave offered a nod, just as the door swung open. Rose ushered them all inside.

“Come in, come in. It’s freezing out there.” She grinned at them and pulled the door shut, pointing them to the living room where a fire blazed.

“yeah, it’s fucking freezing out there. What’s this town called again, Lalonde? Frosty’s Asscrack?”

“Very funny, Strider. It’s Rochester.” She rolled her eyes at him but smiled. “There’s food in the kitchen if you guys are hungry?”   
Everyone nodded eagerly, so she left to get it. She returned moments later, with a large plate of pot pie, mashed potatoes and hot cocoa.

“it’s more or less all the wintery food I know how to make.” She offered, shrugging slightly as she laid everything down on the kitchen table. They plunked down in the chairs and dug in.

“This is really good Rose!” Jade offered, grinning as she took a second helping of potatoes.

“Yeah, not half bad Lalonde.” Dave piped in with a smirk, sipping his cocoa.

The rest of the evening passed pleasantly, the four kids falling into the couch by the fire, the boys playing videogames while the girls watched and laughed bemusedly.

As the nigh wound down, Jade noticed Dave getting quieter and more withdrawn. When they all headed off to bed, she let herself into his room.

“Jesus, Harley. Ever heard of knocking?” he mumbled, quickly shoving his shades onto his face. He was bundled up in a sweater, knitted socks, and plaid pajama pants, clearly still cold as he wound a blanket around him.

“Nope, never.” She grinned at him and sat down on the floor by his bed, pulling her knees to her chest and looking up at him. “What’s up coolkid?”

“I’m cold as balls that’s what’s up.”

“That’s not what I mean. You’re being weird and quiet and not Dave!”

“You’ve met me like twice before in person. How do you know this isn’t just how I really am?”

She could have gotten offended, or upset, but instead she just shook her head sadly.

“Because you’re my best friend. nd I know seeing all of us again must be kind of tough because of the memories, but maybe just focus on the good instead of the bad?”

“What good? Tell me, Harley, what fucking good came of this shit?”

“Well the four of us got closer! And we made friends with the trolls! And we have the means to see each other in person now. And we’re all heroes.”

“And there’s that fucking word again.”

“What word?”

“Hero. I’m not fucking hero, Harley. You are. You shrank everything and broke through the wall to get our sorry asses home, and you got Jack Noir onto the asteroid. Rose is, she knew everything about everything, and got that stupid hunk of rock where it needed to go. John is, he ascended before any of us. And my bro was, for having the guts to raise some kid he found in an asteroid all by himself. I’m not. All I did was fix other people’s shit and stab a crazy fucking mutant bird space dog in the head.”

“Dave, YOU killed Jack. How can you not see yourself as a hero?” it was ilent then, and Jade sighed, gently putting a hand on Dave’s shoulder before leaving the room and heading right down the hall to her own, curling into bed, and falling asleep.

In the early hours of the morning, the sound of an owl awoke her, so she wandered outside, oblivious to the cold, in only a thin long sleeved shirt, green cotton pajama pants, and no shoes. The snow crunched slightly under her toes, and fresh was falling gently from the white sky. She’d never been in the snow before, and it fascinated her endlessly.

An hour or so later the others awoke and gathered for breakfast, but Jade was nowhere to be seen. While layering on yet another sweater, Dave glanced out his window and happened to spy her lying, clearly napping, in the snow.

“Oh, fuck.” He called, racing down the stairs. “I found Harley you guys. She must have gone out in the snow and gotten one of her stupid napping fits, she’s asleep on the damn ground. Rose eyebrows rose in alarm and John’s jaw dropped as they all rushed outside. ‘God damn it, Harley.” Dave muttered as he pulled off his scarf and wrapped it around her neck and tried to rouse her. “Wake the fuck up.” When she didn’t wake, he heaved her up from the ground and carried her into the house, setting her down on the couch and wrapping her in a blanket, and crawled I after her, removing his sweaters until he was in just a faded undershirt.

“Um, Dave? What are you doing?” John asked, clearly bemused.

“Body heat, dumbass. She probably has hypothermia. Obviously she knows shit about snow since she isn’t wearing any damn clothes. “ he padded her front with the sweaters and laid up against her back, wrapping his arms around her and rubbing her arms to create friction. “God, Harley. What the fuck were you thinking, going out into the fucking tundra dressed like this. And falling asleep no less. Did you have squirrels to chase or some shit? You could have died. You live through hell only to almost die in a damn snow flurry in Santa’s asshole, New York.” She blinked suddenly rousing from her sleep.

Dave’s demeanor changed almost instantly.

“Oh fuck, thank god you’re awake.” He mumbled as she turned over.

“Did I fall asleep in the snow?!” her voice was hoarse and groggy.

“Yeah, and my ass had to rescue you.” There was a pause, and Dave’s voice softened slightly “Are you, you know, okay?” she nodded, shivering slightly and pulling one of the sweaters on.

“I told you so.”

“What?” he looked at her, wrinkling his eyebrows. She laughed slightly and shook her head.

“I told you that you were a hero.” Her voice was quiet and matter of fact as she grinned up at him.

And he finally believed her, watching her look up at him with such strength, admiration, friendship and love in those disarmingly large green eyes. And so, remembering all the times his bro had told him to follow his gut and his heart, because at the end of the day they were one in the same, he closed the few inches between them and kissed Jade Harley.

“Coolkid, what are you doing?” she pulled away after a moment, looking confused but not displeased.

“Well, I got warm you up some way Harley.” He smirked, quirking one eyebrow at her. She grinned and shook her head.

“Nah. I got your number, Strider. Admit it. You just wanted to kiss me!” she giggled, grinning again. He shrugged.

“Yeah, okay, maybe a little.” He smiled and kissed her again, only stop when a cough reminded him John and Rose were still there. John just grinned at them, and Rose rolled her eyes.

“Took you long enough, you two. Now who wants cinnamon rolls?” Dave and Jade extracted themselves from the blanket and Jade cuddled under his arm and handed him back one of his sweaters as the for best friends sat down to steaming fresh cinnamon rolls. Jade grinned at him as he licked frosting off his thumb.

Yeah, he could get used to this hero stuff.


End file.
